Hoses and electrical cords are frequently wound upon a spring-loaded reel. When it is desired to use the hose or electrical cord, the hose or cord is pulled from the reel against the action of a spring. When the hose or cord has been pulled to its desired extended position, the spring-loaded reel normally employs a latching system to maintain the hose or cord in the extended position. When it is desired to rewind or retract the hose or cord, the hose or cord is pulled outwardly a small amount to disengage the latching system. The spring-loaded reel then rewinds the hose or cord thereon due to the spring causing the retraction rotation of the reel. In the event that the operator should lose his grip on the hose or cord as it is being rewound by the spring associated with the reel, the hose or cord could strike a person or object causing damage to the person or object as well as damage to the equipment associated with the hose or cord. In addition, when the hose or cord is in its extended position, the latching mechanism sometimes becomes disengaged which causes the spring-loaded reel to rapidly rewind the hose or cord upon the reel which may also result in the hose or cord striking a person or object.
One attempt at regulating the speed of the rewinding of a spring-loaded reel is U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,224 issued to Hiebenthal, which discloses a hydraulic braking mechanism or governor mounted on a spring-loaded reel for controlling the rate of rotation of the reel as the elongated member is wound upon the wheel. The governor or braking mechanism comprises a hydraulic gear pump which is mounted on the reel support and which includes an internal hydraulic circuit consisting of a variable metering valve which is used to control the free retraction speed of the spring-powered rewind reel. The restricted flow causes a resistance to rotation of the pump shaft of the hydraulic pump causing a braking force on the spring reel. A clutch bearing is provided to permit the freewheeling of the reel during the unwinding step.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,417 issued to Sauder et al. discloses a hose reel retractor with a unidirectional viscous speed governor comprising multiple disks housed in a chamber filled with a viscous fluid coupled to the reel to provide a retarding force that is proportional to velocity.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,007 issued to Till discloses a viscously damped cord retract. The system includes a spool, a spring, an air-damper member, and a housing member. The spool is adapted to receive and store varying lengths of a flexible member. The air-damper member is concentrically disposed in the spool and defines at least two rotatable air filled chambers or channels. The house member secures the spool and the air-damper member in a concentric enclosed airy arrangement. An airy chamber defines an enclosure that is not open to a free circulation of air but is penetrable by a limited volume of air.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,583 issued to Maxner et al. discloses a wire feeder having a dampening means to inhibit rotation of a reel of wire. The damping means includes a cylinder having a piston with a piston rod. A plurality of valves regulate the air in and out of the ends of the cylinder to dampen or brake the rotation of the reel shaft, and thus, dampen the inertia of the reel as it rotates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,332 issued to DuLondel discloses a rotary speed limiter device particularly useful as a fire escape device. The device has a rotary speed limiter member mounted on a shaft to slide axially on the shaft and to rotate with it. Means, the speed of which is to be controlled, rotates the shaft. As the shaft is rotated, means applies a braking force on the speed limiter member, causing it to compress air in a surrounding support body and to move axially on the shaft, to limit the speed of the shaft rotating means.
Other non-spring-retractable reels have employed rewind motors, for example, which use compressed air and liquid for aiding the rewinding of the cable or hose.
There is a need for further spring-retractable reels and methods for regulating the rewind speed of the reel.